Off-Road Improvements

Building an off-road bicycle and pedestrian facility is a multi-year effort involving bicycle/pedestrian advocates, municipalities, engineers, planners, and others. It involves planning studies, fundraising efforts, gaining permission to use land (often times with abutter issues) applying for funding assistance, and many levels of environmental permitting. These projects usually begin as a community driven effort, a group of people who get together to improve their community. In order to begin this process, it may be helpful to start a bicycle/pedestrian planning committee. Call your local municipality and ask if any committee currently exists to do bicycle and pedestrian planning. If not, ask your Council, Selectmen, or Planning Board to begin such a group. This group can examine the local street and road system to determine the suitability of the existing system to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians and the potential for establishing off-road bicycle/pedestrian facilities. It can then explore funding options.

Visit our "Create a Bike & Walk Friendly Community" page for more information on the role of a bicycle/pedestrian committee. To see examples of some long-distance, off-road trails, check out our Ongoing Projects Page or visit our Resource Page to see how other community groups are making their off-road trail vision a reality.

If your bicycle/pedestrian group needs more technical assistance, please contact the MaineDOT Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator.

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